One of the most important principles to understand about the nature of horses is that they relate to things in a lateral perspective. Horses do not develop a bi-lateral linear perspective as we do. Humans tend to take in experience and assimilate this information to one thought were as, a horse uses each side in a uni-lateral manner to react to stimulus and experience. We could say a horse has a two-track mind by relating to things uni-laterally in order to gain a spatial perspective that is whole. Therefore the goal in riding is to develop balance in a horse. This is accomplished by conditioning both sides of a horse equally.

Horses can be used to improve the human condition. Or, horses could be used as a metaphor; a symbol of something else. One could go as far as to have the colors of horses representing different things that humans learn from emotionally, spiritually, physically and/or mentally. The fact remains that horses are so natural they cannot help but teach us of a better way of being.

To the average eye the competitors at a horse show all seem to be the same. The riders and horses had to be at a certain skill level in order to be there. The horses are at par with one another, but how do they really differ?

Whether your country home includes a landscape horse, part in parcel of the scenery, or a riding horse there are some requirements to maintain a content - reliable horse. The following checklist is not only suggested for the first time horse owner, it clarifies certain assumptions considering their care.

The lateral perspective of horses is an important principle. Not only does it help us understand how horses relate to things, there are evolutionary reasons why a prey animal is primarily concerned with its sides and relies on these keen senses. With each eye located on the side of their head, horses do not view things in a uniform perspective as we do.

We only truly see what we want to see. We may look at many things in an average day but what we recall is usually what we were interested in. Some things interest a person so much that they contemplate at length over the spectacle before them. To this type of person "life lies in the seeing" (De Chardin); while the next person ambivalently strolls by. Horses are very similar.

An excerpt from the Horse-one-ship manuscript which touches on the idea that good things take time, and anything worth waiting for is something worthwhile. If it was all easy what fun was derived from the challenge?

I was out riding a young horse through the deep snow the other morning trying to get the horse to move a little more willingly. As I was re-bounding from side to side in order to balance the horse I noticed the irregular patterns I was making in the snow. The patterns at the start of the ride looked as if I was riding a jack rabbit, when I was coming home the horse was nicely balanced on my leg and body signals. We achieved an easy rhythmic walk.

Horses are admirable and a pleasure to be around but can be a challenge to relate to for riders. In this enjoyment and challenge, horses have very little requirements from a person except to be taken care of. After a horses basic needs are met, many people wonder what is going on inside of the horse. What causes a reaction or a certain behaviorism to occur?

Horses often become very difficult to handle when they do not want to leave the homeherd environment. Leaving home usually involves being loaded into a trailer. A young horse or a horse that has been left with the herd for a long time usually develops a higher resistance to what should be a pleasant ride down the trail. Horses that are ridden regularly and are relatively confident really enjoy the chance to head down the trail. A horse with low confidence and little respect for the rider also resists, along with many other things, the situation of leaving the home surroundings.